Later on down the road im going to install a radix... Am I right that I should be able to go up mountains towing 5000lbs+ with out downshifting to 2nd then right, because I will have the power and torque to climb it?

 

Wait wait...I got this one...hold on!

 

Here's a post that's been going for a few days...get's a little heated but it's kinda good!

https://www.performancetrucks.net/fo...d.php?t=402809

 

Here's a sticky about the different FI systems....

https://www.performancetrucks.net/fo...d.php?t=356429

 

the way i figure it it... if it does not have to downshift all the time, I can actually improve my mileage for towing.
dont know if I should do headers now, or just save up for the IC Radix and use stock manifolds....

 

I think your biggest improvement in towing is gonna be a gear change for right now. Your engine has plenty of power for towing (as long as your not towing 24000 lbs or something ridiculous as that). You just need to find a better way to stay in your power band. Then again increasing the size of it won't hurt and a radix will do that!

 

With respect to fuel economy, you are better off downshifting than running in boost. I gain 2 MPG by downshifting to 3rd when towing when I am in a situation where I am running on the edge of boost and getting into PE type fueling. You will really be sucking fuel if you are solidly into boost. On steep hills you may be downshifting as well as getting into boost. Depends on what size pulley you are running. A towing setup will typically run less boost(larger blower pulley) so that you only get into it at higher load levels.

 

How come some turbo guys see better fuel mileage when towing?
I guess my thinking was I should make ALOT more torque than stock so there shouldnt be the need for the truck to have to downshift from say 4th to 2nd when climbing. make since? am I wrong?

 

Partly yes...
The reason you gain low end torque with a supercharger is because the supercharger flows more air into the engine at lower RPM's and doing so allows the computer inject more fuel into the engine at that RPM. Either way you cut it in order to make X amount of torque you need the same amount of fuel to be burned, whether it is in the high RPM's or low you still burn the same fuel. An engine spinning 6500 rpm under no load will consume much less fuel than an engine spinning at 1500 rpm's under full load. Also the reason you'll lose fuel efficiency with a supercharger is while that engine is producing the torque necessary you're also asking the engine to spin the supercharger. Some guesses are that an engine needs +/- 50hp to spin a supercharger. So realistically the engine not only has to pull your trailer but also produce an extra 50 hp just to spin the blower.

Turbo guys don't require the engine to produce that extra 50 hp and use waste energy instead, that's not to say it's totally free energy because to overcome the added restrictions in the exhaust some guess around 10 hp is needed. I believe that is why Turbo guys have better fuel efficiency when towing and why most serious haulers are Turbo charged.

 

If your looking for better fuel economy while towing don't supercharge it but if you want the extra/added power than by all means do it! But Gearing is your best friend when dealing with ease of towing, that is why Semi's and Big Rig's have 18 gears.